This invention relates to video camera covers, and more particularly to such covers which are sterile and include means for covering video cameras for medical use.
Heretofore, various devices and methods have been devised to sterilize the video cameras used in operation rooms or for other medical purposes. Medical equipment may be sterilized by the use of chemical or physical agents, for example using hot steam, gas or gamma rays sterilization. These means may not be appropriate for the delicate video camera.
A more convenient sterilization means uses expendable sterile covers wrapped around the medical equipment. The expendable cover or drape is used only once; it is removed and thrown away after use. Until now, it was difficult to cover the video camera and cable, since a long sleeve is required (about 250 cm or more). It takes time to unwrap the sleeve; handling the long sleeve during the covering process may be difficult. Moreover, special care has to be paid so that no part of the sleeve should touch any nonsterile surface, for then the sleeve is no more sterile and does not protect the patient or the medical staff. Sterile covers known in the art are folded to a bulky package, which is difficult to store and to handle.
For example, Adair Edwin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,221, details a windowed self-centering drape for a surgical camera. The drape includes a generally cylindrical body portion and a flexible and elastic distal end. The proximal end of the body portion may include either a roll fold or an accordion fold in order to reduce the size of the drape for storage prior to use.
Lemke Norbert, U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,313, details a microwave sterilizable and reusable endoscope which has an objective arranged at its distal end, the image of which a relay-lens system conveys to the proximal end of the endoscope a light guide at least partially surrounds the relay-lens system and the objective, and conveys illumination light of an illumination light source from a light-entry connection to the distal end. The light guide is provided with a hollow-cylinder made of a transparent and optically clear material which surrounds the objective and the relay-lens system. The light from the illumination light source can be coupled into the circular front face of the hollow cylinder.
Szabo Steve, U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,846, details an endoscopic draping apparatus and method which allows operating room personnel to easily and expeditiously drape an endoscope. The drape is preferably made of polyethylene or some other suitable plastic material. The cylindrical drape cartridge itself acts as a shroud and functions as a sterile barrier. The drape cartridge consists of an inner and outer polyethylene tube which retains the polyethylene drape within its walls. The proximal end of the cartridge is mechanically secured by detents and a chamfer that encase a corrugated pattern of the polyethylene drape. The inner tube acts as a mandrel, allowing the drape to be compressed in a manner that accommodates the various lengths of required draping while lessening the bulk of the draping system.
Lafferty et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,657, detail a disposable sterile sleeve which is removably attachable to a video camera of an arthroscope. The sleeve comprises a flexible elongate tubular shroud and a rigid annular mounting collar. The shroud is open ended with the collar rotatably attached to one open end by a connector member providing independent rotation of the collar relative to the shroud. A pull tab is attached to the opposite open end of the shroud to facilitate extension of the shroud over the camera. The sleeve may be compacted for storage prior to use by tightly scrunching the shroud together, thereby folding it onto itself. To attach the sleeve to the camera, the video camera is inserted through the compacted shroud until it engages the collar. A male thread provided on the camera is threaded into a female thread provided on the collar and the shroud is then extended over the camera by pulling on the tab to draw out the folds in the shroud.
Dunn James, U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,500, details a surgical drape for an endoscopic video camera device which provides a sealed, sterile encasement of the camera and its associated transmission cable and which permits quick, easy interchanging of various endoscopic rod lenses without contamination of the camera head or cable or distortion of the camera image. More particularly, it is concerned with a drape having an opening for insertion of a camera and cable, a clear lens, and structure for constricting the drape around the camera and cable.
Adair Edwin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,613, details a videoscope which can easily be used by the doctor to examine the cervix and vagina for cancerous lesions or other abnormalities. The video camera unit can be removed from the speculum and inserted into a sterile sheath for reinsertion into the vagina for examination for lesions and areas covered by the speculum blade. It can also be inserted into the colon and other body passageways where lesions are suspected. The video camera unit can be removed from the sheath, resterilized or disinfected and reattached to a sterile speculum for use with another patient.
Hicks John, U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,894, details an endoscope having a sleeve-like drape secured in a retracted position at the proximal end of the endoscope. The proximal end of the endoscope is secured to a CCD camera, the drape is extended to telescope over and envelope the camera such that the resulting outer surface of the drape in its extended position remains sterile.
Kurtzer Stephen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,863, details an apparatus for providing a sterile operating environment for endoscopic diagnosis and/or surgery. A covering comprises a pair of generally orthogonally arranged component bags. Each of the component bags is of an accordian-like extendible type. The component bags are joined adjacent the open end of one bag and an aperture adjacent the open end of the other bag. The open end of the second bag is engaged either to a sterile endoscopic probe preferably of the disposable type or to a shield for enclosing the distal end of an endoscope. The entire apparatus is sterilized and configured so that the component bags can be extended along the camera and light guide cables of the endoscopic system so that resistant spores, bacteria and viruses cannot contaminate the open incision.
Disadvantages of these devices and methods include the difficulty in covering the video camera and the bulky package.